Government of The Hexarchy

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The Hexarchy is a federation of six constituent Realms, each led in turn by its own Lord. These Lords are, in turn, monarchs of their respective regions within the nation. While these Realms have organized into blocs that the country takes its often-changing official name after, these represent cultural zones and regions of close internal cooperation between individual Lords far more than they represent increasingly singular polities (with the exception of Pyrax's twin Realms). Thus, the country's name reflects a set of unified governments and cultures instead of fixed places in most respects.

Overview

The Hexarchy is, in reality, a federation consisting of six major socio-political divisions known as Realms. These, in turn, are currently organized into separate, larger blocs of allied (and increasingly unified) constituencies, those being Pyrax, Eridu, and the Eventide Islands. These blocs are where the country takes its official name from. The central government is run by a council-style government also termed the Hexarchy, which consists of the six principal rulers of the country: two from Pyrax, one from Elam, and the other three from the Eventide Islands' territories.

The central government is run by a high council also termed the Hexarchy, which consists of the six principal rulers of the country: two from Pyrax, one from Eridu, two from the Eventide Islands' territories, and one representing the country's south-western, semi-nomadic tribes. Aside from serving as the country's legislative arm, it also serves as a point of appeal and top-down decision-making for both the executive and judicial branches. Regional governments follow a similar format, as each Realm is effectively a monarchy led by rulers with varying political power in their respective regions.

The Council of Six

The country has but one formal branch of government: The High Council of the Lords of the Six Realms, commonly as the Council of Six (which the country is consequently named after). Aside from serving as the chief legislative arm of the country, the Council also collectively serves as the country's high court when in session specifically for such purposes. Additionally, the Council also divides (mostly ceremonial or delegated) executive responsibilities between each of its members. This combination of personally assumed and delegated responsibilities form a rudimentary Federal Cabinet that is, in practice, supported in turn by a bureaucracy that carries out most of its actual functions.

The Federal Cabinet

The members comprising the Council of Six also serve in various government functions which change each year. However, these members are rarely present to discharge their executive functions at the Federal level while also attending to regional and local affairs. Thus, representatives are often appointed as Ministers of Cabinet to carry out their immediate superiors' work. These Ministers usually exercise real power at the Federal level, but are often hamstrung by the absence of the actual Council, the immediate power that its members have over their respective posts, and the ability of the Council to collectively overrule individual members' decisions (or even others' own overruling actions). Thus, foreign business is rarely done with most of the Federal Cabinet, and instead done either with the Council itself, or (barring that) at a regional level.

There are currently three Executive positions within the Council proper that are not delegated to other senior officials by the Councilors. Each year, a vote is tallied in a specific order to allot each position by majority vote to a single office holder. After these votes are successively carried out, the Cabinet is formed when the selected Lords appoint their corresponding representatives. The first vote is always tallied to select the President, the second tallied for the Prime Minister, and the third for the Lawgiver. Other positions are named and voted on in separate ballots.

Cabinet Members

Firstly, the largely-ceremonial President is responsible for maintaining harmony between the Council members while the organization is in session. He also acts as the head of state during that year's cycle. Unlike the Vice President, the President has no power to cast additional tie-breaking votes, as a way to balance power within the Council. Since the foundation of the Hexarchy in 1685, this has been Gilgamesh, 1st Lord of Arumen.

The Prime Minister leads foreign policy efforts, and is also considered the head of government. This position has been occupied since 1685 by Karl Gloucester, 3rd Lord of Kobol.

The Lord Commander ceremonially leads the armed forces, but in peacetime remains largely the joint responsibility of the respective branch commanders. In 1687 and onwards, this is now the responsibility of Sargon II, 8th Lord of Eridu, due to his realm's strong martial power on the regional level.

The Lawgiver is the equivalent of a supreme Judge: a penultimate point of appeal before the Council itself. They also serve as the Council's premier legal advisor, and as an attorney general of sorts. From 1685, this has been Marduk, 5th Lord of Elam.

The Master of Coin is ceremonially the head of the national treasury. In reality, this position's actual power is limited, as most major financial decisions on a national level are made by the entire Council and on a regional level by its corresponding ruler. Additionally, the financial ministers in charge of national funds hold more actual power in practice than their superior; thus, the position has become little more than a sinecure to be passed around the Council as a concession to gain votes elsewhere. The current Master of Coin from 1686 is Cyrus, 3rd Lord of Suza. (The actual Treasury is located in Kobol.)

The Vice-President of the Hexarchy serves a ceremonial role. They (or their designated representative) cast an extra deciding vote in the rare event of a tied vote in matters requiring a 4/6th majority where abstentions occur and/or a Council member is absent and has not cast their own ballot. The Vice President during 1687 is Tiglath-Pileser, Lord of Nippur and paramount chief of the Hexarchy's nomadic southern tribes.

To distinguish its central government from the rulers themselves, the Hexarchy terms its central government "The Council of Six." This Council has final judicial and executive power over the entire country, and rules by consensus rather than through majority votes.